Saint Venant’s Principle

Principio de Saint-Venant
• Distance for homogeneous force
distribution: Same or grater than
longest dimension of the cross
section.
• This stress and strain behaviour are
known as the principle of Saint
Venant (Barré de Saint Venant in
1855).
• This behaviour applies to both: next
to the place where we are applying
the load and the opposite side.
 ∆F

∆A

Válido para cualquier geometría

P
 Normal Stress
𝜎1 = 𝜎2 = 𝜎3 = 𝜎4 = 𝜎𝑛
𝜎2
𝜎1 ∆F

∆A

𝜎3
𝜎𝑛
𝜎4
x1
Hooke’s Law
 Total Elongation
Normally P(x)=cte and A(x)=cte

𝐿
𝑃
𝛿= 𝑑𝑥
𝐸𝐴 0

𝑃(𝑥) 𝑑𝛿
=𝐸
𝐴(𝑥) 𝑑𝑥 𝑃𝐿 Elongation for a prismatic bar
𝛿=
𝑃(𝑥) 𝐸𝐴
𝑑𝑥 = 𝑑𝛿
𝐸𝐴(𝑥)

𝑃(𝑥)
𝛿= 𝑑𝑥
𝐸 𝐴(𝑥)
Discrete and Continuous elongation
 We know
• Internal forces and moments can be calculated given a surface force
𝐹
M Ry V´y Vy
𝑀´𝑥1 𝑀𝑥1
Rx
𝑃′𝑥 𝑃𝑥
𝑥1 𝑥1
Normal Force Diagram
• Determines the behaviour of the normal internal force along the
longitudinal axis of the element
 x=0 Example: Tension for the whole element
x=0.5L
F

x=L
5W

x=1.5L
x
x=0.5L x=L x=1.5L x=2L x=2.5L

x=2L

x=2.5L

x=3L
Example: (Tension compression)

A LAB B LBC C LCD D

5 kN 7 kN
. . 8 kN . 4 kN .

𝑃
 Step 1: Cut at 𝑥1 and asume the direction of Px

A LAB B LBC C LCD D

5 kN 7 kN
. . 8 kN . 4 kN .
𝑃𝑥1
𝑥1
𝑃
Step 2: Add the forces in x

A LAB B LBC C LCD D

5 kN 7 kN
. . 8 kN . 4 kN .
𝑃𝑥1
𝑥1
This is the part we
𝑃 are interested in

Take into account signs

 𝑭𝟏 𝑭𝟐 𝑭
For n loads 𝑭𝒏−𝟏 𝑭𝒏
𝟑

. . . . .
𝑃𝑥1
𝑥1 𝑃𝑥 (0 < 𝑥 < 𝑥𝐹1 ) 1 1 1 . . . 1 1 1 𝐹1
𝑃𝑥 (𝑥𝐹1 < 𝑥 < 𝑥𝐹2 ) 0 1 1 . . 1 1 𝐹2
𝑃𝑥 (𝑥𝐹2 < 𝑥 < 𝑥𝐹3 ) 0 0 1 . . . 1 .
. 0 0 0 1 . . . . .
𝑃𝑥1 𝑥 = . = 0 0 0 0 1 . . . . .
.. . . . 0 0 1 . . . .
0 . . . 0 0 1 1 1
. 0 0 . . . 0 0 1 1
𝑃𝑥 (𝑥𝐹𝑛−1 < 𝑥 < 𝑥𝐹𝑛 ) 0 0 0 . . 0 0 0 1 𝐹𝑛
If Px goes to the left (tension)
If Px goes to the right (compression)
Paso 3: Determine the sign: tension (+), compression
(-)
A LAB B LBC C LCD D
5 kN 7 kN
. . 8 kN . 4 kN .
𝑃𝑥1
𝑥1
𝑃
 We know: Discrete elongation

𝑛
𝐴𝑖 , 𝐸𝑖 𝐹1 𝑃𝑖 𝐿𝑖
𝛿=
𝐴𝑖 𝐸𝑖
𝑖=1
𝑃𝑛 𝐿𝑖 𝑃𝑛
𝑃𝑖 𝐿𝑖 𝑃𝑖

𝑃1 𝐿1 𝑃2 𝐿2 𝑃3 𝐿3
𝛿1 = 𝛿2 = 𝛿3 =
𝐴1 𝐸1 𝐴2 𝐸2 𝐴3 𝐸3

𝛿𝑇 = 𝛿1 + 𝛿2 +𝛿3
Paso 3: Determine the sign: tension (+), compression
(-)
A LAB B LBC C LCD D
5 kN 7 kN
. . 8 kN . 4 kN .
𝑃𝑥1
𝑥1
𝑃

𝑛
𝑃𝑖 𝐿𝑖
𝛿= =?
𝐴𝑖 𝐸
𝑖=1
Elongation continuous bodies
 Discrete and continuous elongation

𝑛
𝐴𝑖 , 𝐸𝑖 𝐹1 𝑃𝑖 𝐿𝑖
𝛿=
𝐴𝑖 𝐸𝑖
𝑖=1
𝑃𝑛 𝐿𝑖 𝑃𝑛
𝑃𝑖 𝐿𝑖 𝑃𝑖

0 𝐿
𝐿
𝑃(𝑥)
A(𝑥) 𝐸 𝑃(𝑥) 𝛿= 𝑑𝑥
0 𝐴 𝑥 𝐸
 Problems (Elongation continuous bodies)

𝐿
𝑃(𝑥)
𝛿= 𝑑𝑥
0 𝐴 𝑥 𝐸(𝑥)
𝒚(𝒙)
Most of the time
Constant
𝑃(𝑥) = 𝑃
𝒙
𝐸(𝑥) = 𝐸 Constant
 G01 G02 G03 G04

a h
h
r

G05 G06 2b b
G07 G08

a a a
2b
2b 2b 2b
0 L 𝐿
𝑥 𝑃(𝑥)
P 𝐴0
𝐴0 P 𝛿=
𝐴 𝑥 𝐸(𝑥)
𝑑𝑥
2 0
• Determine the state of stress at 𝑃1 (L/4) y 𝑃2 (3L/4).

L=30 cm 0 L
P=5 kN 𝑃1 𝑃2
F 𝐴0
𝐴0
F
2

G01 G02 G03 G04 G05 G06 G07

a a
a a a a
a
a
Problem (Elongation discrete bodies)

8 kip
4 kip

15 kip

4 kip
8 kip